


Love Languages

by Aj4668



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Junior year, Light Angst, Light homophobic language, M/M, Nationals, Not Rachel Friendly, Pinn - Freeform, Romance, Season 2, cursing, new directions - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 16:07:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5749555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aj4668/pseuds/Aj4668
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We were crazy, but amazing, baby we both know<br/>It should've been us, us<br/>It, it, it should've been us.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:**  
>   
> 
> During Nationals (junior year) it's Finn and Puck who have a duet instead of Finn and Rachel. During their song, Puck realizes that Finn means the world to him and decides to kiss him on stage. The problem is (according to Rachel) that Finn returns it with equal passion. What happens when they not only win Nationals but Finn has to explain to his dramatic girlfriend why he is breaking up with her for Puck.
> 
>  
> 
> Beta by Fearlessly.
> 
>  
> 
> To see the performance by Tori Kelly mentioned- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAM1HWiUDhM (And you should, it's fantastic!) I'm aware this song came out years after this Nationals performance, but inspiration struck, and I had to go with it. Please forgive the creative license I took. :)

“The Unexpected – Unexpected Songs by Unexpected Singers” is the theme for Nationals this year. Getting to New York City hadn’t been easy for the New Directions. What with religious awakenings (sort of), parental heart attacks and weddings, bullying, slushies, school transfers (and returns), first kisses with first boyfriends, halftime Zombie shows, the seemingly never ending Finn/Rachel/Quinn/Puck/Sam cycle, Will/Emma/Carl/Holly, homelessness, and prom queen write-in candidates, does anyone think the New Directions need any more of “the unexpected”? 

When Mr. Schue announced the theme, no one was happy. Well, except maybe Rachel. Rachel immediately stood up, and said, “Mr. Schue, you can count on me, of course! For my solo, I have plenty of “unexpected” songs in my repertoire. I have perfected “Bring Him Home” from Les Mis, and that’s totally unexpected because that’s traditionally sung by a man…”

“Sit down, Manhands,” said Santana, rolling her eyes. “You doing anything Broadway isn’t anywhere near unexpected. It’s the very definition of “expected”.

“Yes, but…” Rachel said.

“Rachel, you singing that is as expected as me wearing Marc Jacobs,” Kurt interrupted. 

Mr. Schue sighed. “Okay, listen, everyone. We can do this. Let’s hear from everyone.”

After much debate, they decided that the duet will be Finn and Puck singing an acoustic version of “Should Have Been Us” by Tori Kelly, with Sam on the guitar. The two group numbers will be the girls doing a mash up of "Start Me Up / Livin' on a Prayer", and the boys doing a mash up of "Stop! In the Name of Love / Free Your Mind". At the end, to bring everyone back on stage at the same time, everyone will sing the final verse of “Should Have Been Us”.

 

Getting ready for Nationals, Rachel and Finn have been fighting almost constantly, mostly because she doesn’t trust that he and Puck have been practicing their song enough, and won’t be good enough to help their team win. She had set a rehearsal schedule for them, with her attending (more like leading) at first, but that had lasted less than a week. 

At their second rehearsal, the boys had enough. Rachel kept interrupting them, and they couldn’t get through even the first verse.

Rachel looked at Puck and said, “Puck, you have a stunted love quotient which makes you singing a love song unbelievable.”

Puck looked at Finn. “A what?” 

“Dude, no idea. That sounds kinda like math? What does math have to do with love and singing this song?” 

Rachel then turned to Finn. “Finn, you aren’t bringing enough depth to the song, and it’s because of your emotional immaturity. It’s not just Puck making this unbelievable.” 

Puck snorted. “Dude, you are ‘emotionally immature’. At least I have a love quotient.”

Rachel sighed, seeming very frustrated and put-upon. “Boys, try to behave here. I’m only trying to help. I have a vast knowledge of romance. I have watched every musical and so many romantic comedies, and you should trust my instincts. I can help you. This should be sung in the manner of Tony and Maria from the awesomely beautiful and tragically romantic West Side Story. I know you boys have different love languages, and that makes this almost impossible to work with as a duet, but if anyone can do this, I can.”

“Different love languages? What the hell is a love language? Is that even a thing?” Finn asked.

Puck and Finn looked at each other, sighed, then nodded, coming to an agreement without words.

“Okay Rachel, that’s enough. We’ve been here an hour today, and haven’t even gotten through one verse. Time for you to go. We can do this without you,” Puck says.

“But no…” Rachel said, before Finn grabbed her hand and walked her to the door.

“Seriously, Rach. Love you, and I’ll call later. We got this, even though we speak different love languages.”

When she’d gone, Puck looked at Finn and sighed.

“Dude, how do you deal with her with your ‘emotional immaturity’?”

“Fuck you, at least my quotient thing isn’t stunted.” 

With that, they’d gotten back to work.

 

Since that day, a few weeks ago, Rachel has been accusing Finn of choosing Puck over her. Finn tried to point out that they were getting more rehearsing done without her, and that was good for the team, but now he just wants quiet, so he is just trying to avoid her.

Besides, he isn’t sure she’s wrong. Singing this song with Puck has made him realize that maybe his feelings for Puck go deeper than being best friends. Sure, he’s had a couple of big gay freak outs after a few hours of gazing deep into Puck’s eyes, but come on. Finn is taking the verse that sings:

“Now and then, I pretend  
That it's you when I close my eyes  
You got yours, I got mine  
But I wonder where you are tonight”

And dude, he’s done some pretending with his eyes closed lately, and well, shit. He can’t lie and say he doesn’t wonder what it would feel like to kiss someone he doesn’t have to bend way over to reach, or what Puck’s mohawk would feel like under his fingers, or worse, what his mouth would feel like doing, well, other stuff. Yep, big gay freak outs. Funny though – they aren’t happening as often, or lasting nearly as long now, and he wonders what that means, too.

He could ask Kurt what it all means, but Kurt’s already said he doesn’t believe bisexuality exists, and he thinks he still likes girls, so that’s not going to work. He can’t ask Rachel, or her dads, obviously. He can’t ask Puck. Santana is just “not about the labels”, which doesn’t help. Damn. 

It’s not like anything is ever gonna happen anyway. Puck is straight. Puck is with Lauren, though Finn doesn’t totally understand that relationship. Then again, he’s pretty sure no one understands his relationship with Rachel.

 

Puck’s been having his own feelings, but they aren’t startling revelations. Hardly. Well, they aren’t startling now, anyway.

He was the one that suggested “Should Have Been Us”, after all, but no one realized it. When Schue announced the theme for Nationals, Puck realized that this could be his big chance to finally reveal his feelings for Finn, and in a big way.

See, when Puck was in juvie, he was required to meet with a therapist. At first, he thought, “What kind of badass would I be if I needed to get freaking therapy? Badasses don’t get therapy. They deal.” Then, after the Eggo and nipple ring incidents, he decided badasses deal with their shit, and if therapy helped in that, then he’d be a badass in therapy. Shut up.

His therapist was cool, and during one early session, after Puck was talking about babygate, Quinn, Finn and Rachel, he had either a slip of the tongue, or a major epiphany. Maybe it was both. Whatever.

“Dude, no, I never loved Rachel. I might love Finn, but not Rachel.”

His therapist looked up from his note taking, and said, “You may love Finn?”

“NO, Quinn. I said QUINN. Fuck. I said Finn, didn’t I?”

“Yes, Puck, you said Finn, but it could have been a slip of the tongue, not an epiphany.”

“Fuck, I think it’s both.”

 

When the opportunity to sing with Finn came, he knew what he wanted to do, but he couldn’t present it as his own idea. In the middle of the big discussion about song choices, everyone was looking up songs on YouTube. Puck went right to “Should Have Been Us”, a song his sister started playing just a few days earlier. She’d been home sick one day, and saw Tori Kelly perform a kick ass acoustic version on a talk show, and had been playing it over and over since. 

Mercedes was sitting next to Puck, and heard what he was playing. 

“What’s that song, Puck?”

“I don’t know. Um. “Should Have Been Us” by Tori Kelly. Came up next in my auto-play.”

“That’s beautiful. Girl can sing. Everyone, look that up, it’s from the Live with Kelly and Michael show.”

Tina said, “Ohh I LOVE that song! This is a great version of it, too. We should do this, but what could make it unexpected?”

Santana smirked. “Finn and Puck could sing it as a duet. Totally unexpected for the straight dudes to sing it.”

Puck looked at her. Does she know? She winked at him. Fuck. How does she know? 

Santana leaned into Puck and whispered, “Settle down, it’s all good. It’s just written all over your face. I got your back. You can thank me for my idea later.”

Ha. She didn’t even know it was his idea and she was playing along, but whatever. It worked, and that’s what mattered. He’s still badass. Shut up. 

Rehearsing this song had been it’s own kind of special torture, though, and there were days he wished he hadn’t done this. 

Singing with Finn was awesome, but these words are his words, really, and Puck knew that Finn didn’t know that. They were trying to make this romantic, and Finn kept giggling. Yes, giggling.

““Walking round with my head down  
But I can't hide with these high heels on…”

Finn started giggling and couldn’t finish the verse. Puck sighed.

“What now, dude?” 

Finn giggled more. “Can you imagine me in heels? I for sure couldn’t hide in heels!”

Puck snorted. “Rachel was right. You are emotionally immature.”

“Dude, you wound me.”

Sure, parts were funny, but parts weren’t. He just wants to grab Finn and kiss him every time he sings:

“Now we'll never know for sure, ooh  
We were crazy, but amazing, baby we both know”

They work a few dance moves in, and holding Finn’s hand is awesome, but he knows it’s awkward for Finn, and not just because Finn isn’t the best dancer. He knows Finn is straight, and Finn loves Rachel. He doesn’t know why Finn loves Rachel, but he does. That girl is a gigantic pain in the ass packed into a tiny body. Fuck.

When they practiced their gazing looks, Finn looked pained. He looked like he’s actually hurting. What the fuck? Puck gets that he’s not Finn’s type, but come on, dude. He’s hot. He’s a badass. Finn could do worse, as far as dudes go. Right? Shut up. Puck knows he couldn’t do better than Finn.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nationals!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the awesome reviews! It's my first fic, and I appreciate the love. :)

Finally, they arrive in New York. Finn took Rachel on a really romantic date to Central Park and to Sardi’s, where they actually met Patti LuPone. Finn arranged for some of the boys to sing “Bella Note” to Rachel on the street, and honestly, what Finn mostly was thinking was that he wanted Puck to sing to him. Oh well, tomorrow, Puck will be singing to him in front of everyone. He can pretend again.

They are all ready to go on stage and perform as if their entire futures depend on it, and maybe they do. The boys are wearing their tuxes, and the girls are wearing their leather outfits, each ready for their group numbers, but first, Finn and Puck are up for their duet. They bump fists, and do the manly one-armed hug, and Puck says, “Dude, don’t worry, we got this!” 

Finn looks at him and says, “This is so cool, dude! I’m so glad I get to sing this song with you!” Oops. Maybe he said too much, or said it wrong, because Puck just looks at him with that head tilt, and doesn’t say anything. Its time to go on stage, anyway, as the announcer is saying, “Ladies and gentleman, all the way from Lima, Ohio, their first time at Nationals, The NEW DIRECTIONS!!”

Finn walks out first, while Sam takes his stool in the corner to play his guitar. Finn takes the first verse, singing with all his heart. He’s never wanted any win more, even in football.

He gets through the first verse without giggling at the line about high heels, and looks right at Puck as he walks out on stage, singing directly to him:

“You got yours and I got mine  
It's unfair that I still care  
And I wonder where you are tonight.”

Puck walks out on stage, joining Finn singing, and knowing he also means every word of this song.

Finn notices that Puck is gazing at him, like they practiced, but it seems different to him. He’s not sure what that means, exactly, just… different. 

Puck holds Finn’s stare now as he sings the next verse, even though they didn’t practice it this way. He’s just going with his feelings now, not thinking about anything else but trying to let Finn know he means this, and hoping that Finn gets it. 

“It should've been us  
Shoulda been a fire, shoulda been the perfect storm  
It should've been us  
Coulda been the real thing  
Now we'll never know for sure, ooh  
We were crazy, but amazing, baby we both know  
It should've been us, us  
It, it, it should've been us.”

Finn gets it, he thinks. His heart is beating out of his chest. And fuck, his palms are sweating, and they are supposed to do a bit of a dance thing now, and a spin, and he’s going to spin Puck right off the stage because he won’t be able to grip his hand what with all the sweaty palms. Jesus. 

He grabs Puck’s hand to start the spin, and Puck doesn’t move his feet in the way he’s supposed to, but instead, just ends up holding Finn’s hand and they kind of sway. Finn only has a second to think, “Yeah, fuck, this works,” before singing his verse.

Puck wonders for a second when Finn sings about closing his eyes and pretending if Finn really ever does pretend it’s him when he’s with Rachel, or when he was with Quinn. Puck has already figured out that he didn’t want to take Quinn from Finn, but wanted to separate Finn from Quinn, and even Finn from Rachel. 

And no, it’s not that he’s jealous of his best friend having others to spend time with. He’s realized that he wants to spend that kind of time with Finn himself. He’s on the next verse, and sings, putting all his emotions into it.

They join each other, harmonizing on the last parts of the song. They are again gazing at each other, and it couldn’t look more romantic if Tony and Maria themselves were singing.

“Thinking it could be different  
It could, it could…  
It should've been us  
It, it, it should've been us.”

It is silent for a moment, and the rest of the group is watching from the wings. The audience is silent, and the boys are still standing, gazing at each other. Without a word, they lean in together, and kiss. And kiss. And kiss.

During the kiss, all Finn can think is, “Holy fuck, this is hot. Don’t get hard. Oh shit. He’s gonna know I’m hard. But wait – does this mean he likes me?“

Puck can only think, “Wow, this is hot. He is actually kissing me back. Badass. He can KISS! But wait – does this mean he likes me?”

When the kiss finally breaks, the audience erupts. No one seems sure if it’s scripted, but the theme is “The Unexpected”, so they are just going with it (it’s show choir, after all), and well, it was hot, if mostly inappropriate. 

Rachel is silently seething. She has little time to react, as the girls go on next. She just glares at Finn and Puck as they pass each other, and Finn says, “Oh fuck” under his breath, realizing the scope of what just happened.

As the girls perform, the boys are whispering in the wings, but trying to not be heard on stage.

Mike asks, “Dudes, what the hell was that?” 

“Did you mean for that to happen? Does this mean you’re both gay?” Artie blurts out, and Puck rolls his eyes.

“Did Schue know this was going to happen?” Sam hisses.

Kurt is silent, and Finn is unable to tell what he is feeling from the look on his face, other than maybe he looks a bit sad.

Puck grabs Finn and pulls him away from the others. 

“We only have a few minutes, but dude, what does this mean? That was hot, but what the fuck?”

Finn isn’t sure if Puck’s mad, or happy, or just confused, so he stammers on his reply. “Um well, I kinda mean that it’s, well, lately I’ve been…”

“Dude, you want me? You like me?” Puck asks.

“Well, yeah. You’re my best friend, and you’re hot, and OH SHIT, um I shouldn’t have said that like that, and well, the song, and it’s meaning, and don’t have a big gay freak out, but…”

Puck grabs him, kisses him hard but quick and says, “No freak outs here. I want you, too. This is what you did to me.” He takes Finn’s hand and puts it on his crotch so Finn can feel his erection. 

Finn’s eyes get big, and he says, “Really? I did that do you? But…”

Before Finn can say anything else, Puck says, “Yes, but it’s not just wanting to fuck you. It’s way more than that. I love you, dude. I’m in love with you.”

Just then, the girls are coming off stage, and the other guys are calling for Finn and Puck to get in their places for their group number. As they wait to start, Mike leans over to Finn and says, “The girls killed it, dude. We can do this!”

The boys kill it, too. Finn isn’t sure how he managed to get through it, but he focuses and at the end, the girls come back out, and they all sing the last chorus of “Should Have Been Us” without music.

“Oh oh, oh oh  
It should've been us  
Oh oh, oh oh  
You know it should've been us  
Oh oh, oh oh  
It should've been us  
It, it, it should've been us.”

The audience loves them, and cheers loudly, giving them a standing ovation to let them know. In the end though, they don’t win, but land in 5th place, which Finn and Puck think is awesome for their first trip to Nationals, really.

Rachel doesn’t agree. The team convenes in the girls’ hotel room, where she is screaming.

“Finn and Puck, your kissing cost us Nationals! No one wants to see two boys kiss! It’s GROSS!”

When she says that, Kurt, who had been mostly silent, stands up and glares at Rachel.

“EXCUSE ME? No one wants to see two boys kiss? You think it’s ‘gross’? You of the two gay dads? You, who place yourself in every minority group possible, say this? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Kurt, you know what I mean. I don’t think this, but society thinks this.”

“Rachel, sit down and SHUT UP. You just said it was ‘gross’. To think I’ve defended you before. That won’t happen again. You know, I had a couple of moments of ‘Why didn’t they want me?’ when I saw them together, but that’s MY issue, not theirs, and certainly doesn’t make what they did wrong, or even ‘GROSS’. I smell jealousy and bitterness from you a mile away.”

Brittany looks at Rachel and says, “Oh is that what I smell? I thought Lord Tubbington was here. Do you not understand dolphins, Rachel? I feel bad if you don’t. Dolphins are awesome. Puck and Finn are dolphins now, and their sweet boy kisses were hot.”

Santana just pats Brittany’s hand, and gives her a slight hug and says, “Brittany, it’s okay. Some people need tough love. This is Rachel’s tough love. She’s just mad that it was Finn getting his hot boy kisses on with Puck. We all know how she behaves when she doesn’t get what she wants, but she’s NOT homophobic. She’s just a jealous bitch.” She smirks at Rachel and rolls her eyes.

Quinn finally chimes in. “You know, this actually makes sense. It’s pretty enlightening, really, if you think about it. Puck didn’t actually want me, or even you, Rachel. He just wanted us not with Finn.” Puck nods, surprised that someone picked up on that, but then thinking that if anyone would, it would be Quinn.

Rachel screams and actually stomps her foot. “Brittany, they are NOT dolphins! Finn is with me, and that was just an act for the performance! And Quinn, nothing about this needs to make sense, since it was just for show!”

Finn sighs, and knows he has to tell her the truth. He takes Rachel’s hand and leads her to the boys’ room for some privacy. He sits her down on one of the beds, and starts talking.

“Rach, I never meant to hurt you, I swear. While we were rehearsing, I started realizing I had feelings for Puck. Like real feelings, love feelings, and um, sexy feelings. Apparently he feels the same for me. He told me he loves me, and I haven’t even had the chance to tell him I love him back yet. I needed to do the right thing and end things with you first.”

“You love me?”

Finn and Rachel look up, and Puck is standing in the doorway. He has a look of surprise in his eyes, and Finn walks over to him. He takes Puck’s hand and says, “I’m sorry, Rachel, so sorry, but apparently, Puck and I speak the same love language.”


End file.
